Short stories

Monday, 26 January 2015

Review of The Song of The Cypress by Tonia Parronchi

I won’t give a summary here, as other reviewers have already
very efficiently done so.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Tonia Parronchi’s
practically flawless prose flows beautifully and is at times poetic. The story itself is a mix of fairytale
romance and mystical folklore, which I haven’t come across before. I must say that the enchanted Cypress did
not appeal to me much to start with, but as I progressed with the story, I
understood that it added an interesting dimension to Annie’s new life in Italy.

I generally read two or three books at a time, and The Song
of the Cypress was the one I wanted to settle down with an hour or so before
bedtime because it is so uplifting and positive. Rural Italy comes alive, with fabulous descriptions, traditional
anecdotes and a welcome helping of local produce served up at sunny picnics,
village feasts, or cosy meals for two in front of the fire. Everything is rather perfect, but I
enjoyed this indulgence – it was refreshingly uplifting and a great way to
de-stress at the end of the day.

If I had to mention something negative, I’d say that the
pace did stall from time to time, where there was occasional repetition,
verbosity or inaction. However, if
you’re looking for a nice dose of romantic escapism, coupled with an authentic
overview of life in a Tuscan village, written by an author who knows how to
write, this book definitely fits the bill.

About Bev

My name is Bev and I live in SW France in a crumbly old house with a husband who’s keen on renovation, two kids who are going through the French education system (arrrgh), no dogs and no cats.
Bunny on a Bike is not my first book, but it is the first book to be put out into the world. Writing Bunny on a Bike was something I enjoyed doing, (my son is currently asking me whether I like bagels – distracting, in a random kind of way), because it was nice to remember all the ridiculous adventures I had in London and try to recall what it felt like to be young and ready to try anything.
I hope that people who read it will laugh a lot and feel uplifted. That would be wonderful. You can have a look on Amazon Kindle if you would like to.
If you want to get more of an idea of the tone of the book then I suggest you have a look at some of the posts on this blog.
I have since published two mysteries and a prequel to Bunny on a Bike. I will publish my next book (suspense) next week (Oct 2013). All are listed on my blog.
Thanks for visiting my page and I hope you find something you like.